Search form

Search

Ligety Dominates Alta Badia

by

USSA

2012-12-16 05:39

Ted Ligety built a huge margin in the first run and went on to win in Alta Badia. (Getty Images/AFP-Olivier Morin)

ALTA BADIA, Italy (Dec. 16) - A dominating first run from Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) set him up for a repeat win in an Audi FIS World Cup giant slalom in Alta Badia by 2.04 seconds over Austrian Marcel Hirscher. It was Ligety's 14th career GS victory, tying him for the number four all time spot with Austrians Benni Raich and Hermann Maier. The win gave the U.S. Ski Team back-to-back wins on the weekend after Steven Nyman (Sundance, UT) won the Val Gardena downhill Saturday. Ligety gained ground on Aksel Lund Svindal in the World Cup overall and added to his lead in the giant slalom.

The victory was his 14 career GS win, tying Austria's Hermann Maier and Benni Raich for fourth on the all-time win list. Alberto Tomba of Italy is next with 15. The incomparable Swede Ingemar Stenmark holds the seemingly untouchable record of 46.

Ligety had posted a 2.40 second lead in the first run prompting speculation on the possibility of matching the record margin of 4.06 held by Stenmark. Ligety became the first skier since 1979 to post two two-second win margins.

Tim Jitloff (Reno, NV) was 17th.

The Audi FIS Alpine World Cup men's tour now heads to Madonna di Campiglio for a slalom Tuesday before the holiday break.

Universal Sports TV: 9:00 a.m./6:30 p.m. EST

QUOTESTed LigetyIt's tough to go out in the second run when you're winning by 2.40. You don't want to lose all that speed and not win but you also don't want to go so relaxed you make big mistakes as well. So I was going hard.

Maybe in the back of my mind the Stenmark record was something I was thinking about a little bit. But at the same time I was just trying to make it to the bottom. I definitely made some big mistakes and decided to change the tactics a little bit just so I didn't totally mess it up.

It's a tough ride. This hill is always technical, icy day, really bumpy on that second run. A couple times I had my elbows on the snow. It wasn't easy but I was able to stay on my feet to the finish line.

It's great to come here. This is a really cool hill. Everybody on the World Cup truly enjoys this hill and the experience in Alta Badia.

Any day you win it's good in that direction. The crazy thing is I'm only winning the GS title by 40 points over Marcel. Even though I've been beating him by a lot he's second or third every time or winning.